Noble Faith - A Response.

XGH just posted on faith ( I prefer belief) http://extremegh.blogspot.com/2007/05/is-faith-noble.html and I commented as follows: (some minor editing)

פֶּתִי, יַאֲמִין לְכָל-דָּבָר
The thoughtless believeth every word
(Mishlei 14:16)

עֵדוּת יְהוָה נֶאֱמָנָה, מַחְכִּימַת פֶּתִי
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple
(Tehilim 19:8)

The problem you have is with the "evidence". You have to clearly define what kind of evidence is required for each type of belief. Do not jump to a hasty response but think about it a little. How can one expect time dependent and physical evidence for a non-physical pre- time event like creation or actions (for that matter inaction) of such an Entity? If such evidence is unattainable and the possibility still exists, in fact there is about the same probability for it as against it, what is one to do? Go Dawkins way and say unless I have proof positive it is ridiculous or go the Jewish way and say it is something that requires serious investigation and what method do I follow in that journey?



Here is an excerpt of a letter written by Rambam to the wise men of Montpellier who asked him his opinion about astrology.

דעו רבותי, שאין ראוי לו לאדם להאמין אלא באחד משלשה דברים. הראשון דבר שתהיה עליו ראיה ברורה מדעתו של אדם כגון חכמת החשבון, וגימטריאות, ותקופות. והשני דבר שישיגנו האדם באחד מהחמש הרגשות, כגון שידע ויראה שזה שחור וזה אדום וכיוצא בזה בראית עינו. או שיטעום שזה מר וזה מתוק. או שימשש שזה חם וזה קר. או שישמע שזה קול צלול וזה קול הברה. או שיריח שזה ריח באוש וזה ריח ערב וכיוצא באלו. והשלישי דבר שיקבל אותו האדם מן הנביאים ע"ה ומן הצדיקים. וצריך האדם, שהוא בעל דעה, לחלק בדעתו גם במחשבתו כל הדברים שהוא מאמין בהם, ויאמר:

שזה האמנתי בו מפני הקבלה, וזה האמנתי בו מפני ההרגשה, וזה האמנתי בו מפני הדעה.

אבל מי שיאמין בדבר אחד שאינו משלושת המינים האלה, עליו נאמר "פתי יאמין לכל דבר" [משלי יד,טו].

Translation/Paraphrase as usual:

Know the following, my Teachers:

A person may only believe in three categories of knowledge.

The first types of belief are things that a person can prove empirically like mathematics, geometry and astronomy.

The second type of acceptable beliefs are those a person experiences with his five senses. With his eye he can verify the color of an observed object; he can taste a food if it is bitter or sweet; he can feel heat or cold; he can discern sounds whether they are clear or echoes; his olfactory sense tells him how things smell.

The third acceptable types of beliefs are those he receives from the prophets and the righteous.

A thinking person has to further identify each type of belief and categorize it properly by saying:

This I believe in because of Tradition,
This I believe in because I sense it.
This I believe in because I can prove it empirically (I know it).

However, someone who believes in things other than the above three is the person referred to in the following verse:

פֶּתִי, יַאֲמִין לְכָל-דָּבָרThe thoughtless believeth every word(Mishlei 14:16)

I understand the categorization Rambam requires of a thinking person, is done by a process of elimination. First one checks if the belief is empirically provable, if not, can it be something that we sense – in other words is it a physical reality or a concept. Only if it is the latter can one rely on tradition. Both skeptics and fundamentalists are unable to categorize things properly and this is the underlying cause of their misguided floundering when it comes to theological issues. The skeptics look for empirical proofs where none are possible or required. The fundamentalists believe that tradition supersedes reality. Both are equally in an alogical quandary.